by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
October is a tricky month for me because it’s scary movie season. This genre of movies, or TV shows for that matter, is not one that I actively seek out. I’ve been dipping my toes into the horror genre more and more, and I’ve been enjoying it more than I thought I would. There’s always a lot to say, and luckily for horror, there are a ton of different sub genres to choose from. I finally bit the bullet and decided to watch a horror TV show, one which was released on Netflix earlier this month.
The Midnight Club, created by Mike Flanagan and Leah Fong, and based on the novel by the same name by Christopher Pike, is about a group of terminally ill young adults who seek refuge at Brightcliffe Home Hospice. Shrouded in mystery, these kids come to Brightcliffe so they can peacefully pass away on their own terms. A group of kids, known as the Midnight Club, stay up and tell ghost stories to one another. They also have a pact that whomever passes away first must communicate with them from beyond the grave. The group consists of Anya (Ruth Codd), Kevin (Igby Rigney), Sandra (Annarah Cymone), Spencer (William Chris Sumpter), Cheri (Adia), Natsuki (Aya Furukawa), Amesh (Sauriyan Sapkota), and newcomer Ilonka (Iman Benson). Together, they come to terms with their situation while dealing with the mystery of what is going on at Brightcliffe. The Midnight Club is 10 episodes and is currently streaming on Netflix.
Two things to disclose before I continue. This show has a lot of trigger warnings for a variety of topics. If you are someone who is terminally ill or knows someone who is terminally ill, it might be tough to watch for you. In addition to the terminally ill aspect of the show, there are also instances of depression, suicide, and self-harm. So be forewarned that this has a lot of heavy topics, and if they make you uneasy, you may want to think twice before proceeding forward. Second, this is my first foray into the Flanagan-verse. Again, since I don’t actively seek out horror, I haven’t watched any of Flanagan’s other shows. So if it seems I’m unfamiliar with specific tropes within Flanagan’s shows, apologies upfront.
The way the show is composed is that characters get the chance to tell a story and we, as the audience, get to see the story play out. These stories are not told from start to finish, as it becomes clear that they are either extensions of other stories, or share similar styles or characteristics as previous stories. The club isn’t shy about providing feedback either. They let the storyteller know that there are similarities with previous stories, or issues they have with the current one. It just goes to show this group has been doing this a long time, and they have a chemistry with one another. Not every story is top notch, but all of them provide a scare or two, as well as something interesting to say.
The Midnight Club boasts a very talented cast. The only real issue I have with it is that since it’s is so big, there’s not a lot of room for everyone to get decent storylines. From a performance standpoint, I really like Anya as a character and performance. Codd blends rage at her current situation with sarcasm and indifference. She really gives a great performance. Her fate, in the show, is the subject of the season’s seventh episode. It’s by far the episode. The other standouts are Ilonka and Amesh. As the de facto main character, Ilonka has a tough task as a character. We are introduced to her immediately, and once we get her situation, we want to root for her. She’s the new girl and the fish-out-of-water. I really like Ilonka as a character and Benson’s performance is really great. But Amesh might be my favorite. He’s the previous newbie to the Midnight Club, and he has some of the best storylines of the season. He gets a love story, and he faces his mortality in a rather unique way. Sapkota gives a strong performance, and one that I really think is among the best of the show.
Brightcliffe is a beautiful house, and the location and set design are both really great. The house is creepy and gothic-looking, and just oozes with dread. It’s clear that something is up with it. It’s perhaps one of the biggest knocks that I have with the show though that a lot of the mystery isn’t divulged, clearly defined, or wrapped up by the end of the season. It’s a sequel-bait ending, with a season two that I’m predicting will probably happen in the near future. What we do see, however, is scary, and at times very intense around the house. There are a lot of storylines about the house that are introduced, but then aren’t really addressed adequately enough for there to be a payoff.
In addition to the set design, the lighting and the music add to the atmosphere surrounding the house. The technical department is really on point with making genuinely scary surroundings. The 1990s music playlist is well curated. Since I grew up in the ‘90s, I appreciated all the music choices. As far as jump scares, The Midnight Club is chalked with tons of them. If you are looking for scares, particularly things popping up on screen with loud music played in the background, you will not be disappointed.
I’m torn about what I like better, though, the stories the club tells or the mystery surrounding the house. The stories are unique, and each character’s story is somewhat fitting of their personality. If I could pick the story I liked the best, it’d be Natsuki’s tale. It’s definitely the most personal, and has additional meaning about why and who she tells it to specifically. I appreciated the brutal honesty, and how it gives us context about her character.
The honesty that some of these characters have and the stakes about their current situation in terms of death is perhaps the best part of The Midnight Club. The heartbreaking way some of these characters face their mortality is really powerful, and it is addressed in a variety of different ways. Some of the characters accept their fate and just want to live out their days, whereas others struggle to come to terms with their situation. Some of the characters have families who are struggling with their terminal illness. This adds to an already tough storyline with these characters. It’s hard to watch at times, as we are reminded that these are all kids who have unfairly been given a terminal illness diagnosis and their lives cut drastically short.
The Midnight Club gives you genuine scares, meaningful talks about what it means to confront your mortality, and characters who you really want to invest in. There’s a lot going on, and the season isn’t the cleanest or most consistent with making sure all the stories get some play or resolution. Maybe season two might address some of these issues, assuming it gets one from the price conscious Netflix. I enjoyed it enough, but it left me wanting more than what I got. I’m hoping more gets resolved in Season Two. Until then, I will be going back to the other Flanagan-verse shows to give them a chance.
Score: 7/10
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